Three New Beers to Help You Beat the Heat this Week! (6/26)

Summer has made itself very well known around here recently, so we’re dropping three beers that will help you beat the heat!

1. Salty Fox: White Sangria!

We brewed up a German Gose-Style sour ale and fruited it with white grapes, orange, lemon, lime, and Mediterranean Sea Salt! Salt in your Sangria?! You bet, and you’ll thank us as you keep taking sip after satisfying sip! Plus, it’s just 4% ABV, so you’ll feel like filling a pitcher and sharing with some friends!

A can and pour of Salty Fox: White Sangria Gose-Style Sour Ale

2. Rio de Vaso Mexican-Style Dark Lager!

Brewed in collaboration with our friends at the Iron&Glass taprooms, this dark lager does a balancing act between full flavor and high drinkability. Malty and smooth, yet light bodied and easy to put down, this beer is fantastic for summer drinking. And at 5% ABV, it won’t slow you down early in the day.

3. River Life Pale Lager!

One of our most popular light drinking beers, River Life is your every day beer for doing chores, mowing lawns, lazy river days, and quenching that mid-day thirst. At just 4.8% ABV, it invites another can when you finish your last one.

A can and pour of River Life Pale Lager.

Introducing: Naiad's Pride Berliner Weiss - 6/1 Release

Naiad’s Pride, a berliner weiss with dragon fruit, pine apple, and peach, releases on Sunday, June 1st, at noon supporting BEYONG Fox Valley.

When we opened our brewery over six years ago, one of our driving forces was creating a space for our entire community where EVERYONE felt welcome. A place where folks from our hometown of St. Charles and surrounding communities could gather, share a beer, and enjoy our space without fear of ridicule or judgement.

Naiad’s Pride, a new fruited berliner weiss (a type of German-style sour wheat ale) fruited with dragon fruit, pineapple, and peach, hits the taps and to-go cooler at noon on Sunday, June 1, in celebration of Pride Month. Join us for live music by Nicole Devine and Teddy D’s Food Truck as well!

We brewed this beer in partnership with BELONG Fox Valley, a local non-profit organization dedicated to creating an inclusive space for the LGBTQIA+ community in the Fox Valley area. A portion of the proceeds from this beer will go directly to BELONG.

You can also help BELONG directly on Monday, June 23, during our Music Bingo Monday Fundraiser! Every Monday, we play music bingo from 6pm to 8pm with a limit of ONE CARD per person. But for this special event, players can receive a bonus music bingo card with any donation of cash or items they’ve requested for their events, such as:

• Capri Sun Packs

• Snack Bags of Chips, Doritos, etc

• Dominos PIzza Gift Cards

Be sure to present your donation to our host to receive your bonus music bingo card!

At Riverlands, we choose to see beyond political parties, religious affiliations, and divisive rhetoric to see the good in every person who walks into our brewery. It’s simple, really. Treat others as you wish to be treated. We welcome all who share this belief and want to raise a pint with their neighbors, friends, and families.

Sunday Sessions Return for Summer 2025

Sunday Sessions, our live music and local food showcase every Sunday afternoon at our St. Charles brewery!

With patio season upon us and our new shade sails going up, it’s time to fill your Sunday afternoons with local live music, food trucks, and, of course, St. Charles’ favorite beers. It’s time for SUNDAY SESSIONS.

All dates, time, menus, and musicians subject to change.

Check out your summer 2025 lineup:

May 11 - Mother’s Day Brunch
11am: Le Truff Noir Elevated Comfort Food
12pm: Joey Wilbur Live

May 18
12pm: Stadium Street Eats food truck
1pm: Live Music by Joey Wilbur
Plus, TURTLE RACES at 2pm!

May 25
12pm: TamalesPlus food trolley
1pm: Live Music by Noah James Hittner

June 1
12pm: Food by Teddy D’s food truck
1pm: Live Music by Nicole Devine

June 8
12pm: Food by Fernando’s Street Kitchen
1pm: Live Music by PennyLuck

June 15 - Father’s Day!
12pm: Food by Cousins Maine Lobster
1pm: Live Music by Kristin Rose Kelly

June 22
12pm: Food by Stouts BBQ
1pm: Live Music by John Boda

June 29
12pm: Food by Waffadilla food truck
1pm: Live Music by Seth Mercer

July 6
12pm: Food by Dark Horse Grill
1pm: Live Music by Jim Gruden

July 13
12pm: Food by the Curious Crow
1pm: Live Music by Flatlands Bluegrass Duo

July 20
12pm: Food by Lalos BBQ
1pm: Live Music by Downhillers Acoustic Harmony Band

July 27
12pm: Food by Potates JUMBO Stuffed Baked Potatoes
1pm: Live Music by Shea Marie

Aug 3
12pm: Food by Flyin’ Hawaiian food truck
1pm: Live Music by Jason Benefield

Aug 10
12pm: Food by Xpress Burrito
1pm: Live Music by Nick Olson

Aug 17
12pm: Food by Potates JUMBO Stuffed Baked Potatoes
1pm: Live Music by Nicole Devine

Aug 24
12pm: Food by Good Omen Gyoza
1pm: Live Music by Matt Petkovich

Aug 31
12pm: Food by Sizz & Fizz food truck
1pm: Live Music by the Old Fashioneds

Sept 7
12pm: TamalesPlus
BRICKS OF HOPE LEGO DONATION DRIVE AND FREE-BUILD!

Sept 14
12pm: Food by Cousins Maine Lobster
1pm: Live Music by Justin Moyar

Sept 21
12pm: Food by Waffadilla
2pm: TURTLE RACES supporting Hickory Knolls Discovery Center

Sept 28
12pm: Food by Steamboat BBQ
1pm: Live Music by Matt Nanke

Our 2025 Winter Bluegrass Series Begins - Live Music in St. Charles

The Rusken Bros, one of five bluegrass bands playing as part of our Winter Bluegrass Series on Saturdays starting in February.

Beat the winter blues with some righteous BLUEGRASS as we kick off our 2025 Winter Bluegrass Series this February!

Five weeks of live bluegrass in St. Charles are heading your way with different food trucks each week as well. Check out the lineup below and save the dates on your calendar!

Food starts at 5pm and music at 6pm.

THE LINEUP:

FEBRUARY 1:
Lucky Pickers with Chuck’s Wood Fired Pizza

FEBRUARY 8:
Wheels North Duo with Biker Dude Burgers

FERUARY 15:
Miles Over Mountains with Dark Horse Grill

FERBRUARY 22:
Fox Crossing Stringband with TamalesPlus

MARCH 1:
Rusken Bros. with Chuck’s Wood Fired Pizza

Check out our events page for details on the bands and other upcoming food trucks and live music events!

Oktoberfest in St. Charles at Riverlands Brewing Company - 2024

Our annual Oktoberfest celebration has become a tradition among friends, family, and guests at our St. Charles brewery. This year’s party not only continues that tradition, but builds upon it to create an even GRANDER TIME FOR ALL.

Two days of German-style good times await on Saturday and Sunday, September 28 & 29. Three different bands, incredible German food, and stein-fuls of our traditional Scarecrows in Lederhosen Marzen and Fox Fest Festbier make this the only place to be for all your Oktoberfest fun this fall.

Check out each day’s lineup and come BACK for maximum effect!

DAY ONE - Saturday Sept 28

Steinholding competitions throughout the afternoon, lederhosen as far as the eye can see, and YOU!

𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬: 12pm
𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝: Strawberries BBQ from 12pm to 8pm or sellout
𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜:
2-5pm - 13 Days
6-9pm - Fritz & the Pretzel Twists

DAY TWO - Sunday Sept 29

𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬: 12pm
𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝: Fernando’s Oktoberfest Kitchen - 12pm to sellout
𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜: Beer & Loathing - 1pm to 4pm
PLUS: Open Mic Night - 6pm to 9pm

Fall and Winter Trivia Series

Our 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹 & 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 is almost here! Gather each Third Thursday to compete with like minded individuals as a team or solo with different themes and food trucks each month:

𝗦𝗘𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝟭𝟵

Adam Sandler Movie Trivia - 7pm

(NO RSVP REQUIRED, SEATS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED)

𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘺: Le Truff Noir Elevated Comfort Food

𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝟭𝟳

Horror Film Trivia - 7pm

SIGNUP REQUIRED: https://www.facebook.com/events/519189724127351/

𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘺: Stadium Street Eats starting at 5pm

𝗡𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝟮𝟭

Seinfeld Trivia - 7pm

SIGNUP REQUIRED: https://www.facebook.com/events/2354295794902853/

𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘺: Chuck's Wood Fired Pizza starting at 5pm

𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝟭𝟵

Holiday Movie Trivia - 7pm

SIGNUP REQUIRED: https://www.facebook.com/events/376270382033779/

𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘺: TBA

Riverlands Brings Home Some Hardware - U.S. Open Beer Championship

Hi, River Rascals!

With the U.S. Open Beer Championship now in our rearview mirror, the fact that we won a couple medals is beginning to feel real. Not only that, but these are our FIRST MEDALS at a brewing competition in the first five years we’ve been in business. And, wow, the recognition humble us…but also feels so good!

We brought home a Gold Medal for German Pils with a beer dear to our hearts, Kayak Pils. You can help us celebrate this win with a pint of the fresh batch that's coming out this Thursday (7/11)!

We also brought home a Bronze Medal in the Mexican Lager/Pilsner category for our Mexican Style Lager, San Carlos Especial. While this mostly seasonal beer is now sold out at the brewery, you may find it on your local bottle shop shelf, and it will be around again in the future.

The U.S. Open Beer Championship is the third largest beer competition in the US, unique in that it allows award winning homebrewers to compete as well. As this is one of the big three, we're blown away to have brought home some hardware. Illinois beer had a great showing this year, with several of our good friends in the industry bringing medals home in some major categories! 

And while beer competitions certainly aren't the end all be all measurement of a breweries success, I'd be lying if I said that seeing beer we've worked so hard on become recognized in a national competition didn't feel really good.  

As for our beer, if you've ever talked to myself or our other brewer, Nick, you know we love lager. Though we came out of the gate with our hazy IPAs and stouts first and foremost on everyone’s mind, many of you will remember that we had a German Pils, then called Yellow Kayak, on our tap list on day one.

Though we've certainly grown the program significantly over the past few years, lager has been something we took seriously from day one. So to say we're thrilled that our two medals came in lager categories would be an understatement.    

Lastly, I'd be remiss if I didn't say thank you to everyone reading this and who has had a pint of these two beers.  If you weren't drinking these and enjoying them, I wouldn't be able to keep making them. 

So…thank YOU! 

Eric Bramwell
Head Brewer/Co-Owner
Riverlands Brewing Company

Our Bluegrass Series Returns in July - Live Music in St. Charles

Bluegrass Fridays, every week at our St. Charles brewery. Pictured: 65 North Pickers duo bluegrass band.

𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐖𝐎!

Join us every Friday evening in July as we showcase a different bluegrass act and food truck each week:

7/5:

Fox Crossing Stringband at 6pm

Fernando's Street Kitchen at 5pm

7/12:

65 North Pickers at 6pm

Dark Horse Grill and Catering at 5pm

7/19:

Rusken Bros. Band at 6pm

Chuck's Wood Fired Pizza at 5pm

7/26:

Pickin' & Grinnin' featuring Amber Berg & Andrew Dylan at 6pm

The Pasta Box Inc. at 5pm